Russia proposes electricity export to Japan amid energy crunch

Russia has unveiled a plan to export electricity to Japan ahead of a ministerial-level meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.

The plan is to build a natural gas power plant on the island of Sakhalin, north of Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido. A large-capacity undersea cable will transmit the electricity to Japan.

Russia is set to promote bilateral cooperation with Japan and propose the project during the Japan-Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Trade and Economic Issues, sources from the Russian government said. Both countries will also discuss cooperation in energy and other areas.

This comes as Japan faces a potential power shortage after the Fukushima disaster which led to the shutdown of nearly all nuclear plants across the country, The Nikkei reports.

The Japanese government will examine the legal issues involved in importing electricity as it aims to lessen reliance on imported energy and develop energy sources at home.